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Agriculture

Why are bees making less honey? Study reveals clues

UNIVERSITY PARK — Honey yields in the U.S. have been declining since the 1990s, with honey producers and scientists unsure why, but a new study by Penn State researchers has uncovered clues in the mystery of the missing honey. Using five decades of data from across the U.S., the researchers analyzed the potential factors and mechanisms that might be affecting the number of flowers growing in different regions — and, by extension, the amount of honey produced by honey bees. The study, recently published in the journal Environmental Research, found that changes in honey yields over ...

HARRISBURG — PA Farm Link, in collaboration with Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education Program, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and University of Maryland are offering a free webinar on Feb. 19, 2024 at 12 p.m. to learn about a family’s farm succession planning process, what went wrong, and how to avoid the same mistakes for your own farm. The speaker will be Paul Goeringer, a Senior Faculty Specialist and the Extension Legal Specialist at the University of Maryland. Goeringer joined the University of Maryland’s Department of Agricultural and Resource ...

USDA grant to support training for beginning farmers in Pennsylvania

UNIVERSITY PARK — A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will enable Penn State Extension to offer a program designed to bring together beginning and retiring farmers in Pennsylvania, with an eye toward facilitating the transition of farms from one generation to the next. The $50,000 award is part of USDA-NIFA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, which supports a wide range of professional development activities and topics, such as managing capital, acquiring and managing land, and learning effective business ...

Free Ag mentorship program available to the public

Free Ag Mentorship Program HARRISBURG – In 2022, Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry received a new resource to help farmers. The PA Agriculture Mentor Program Pilot included five mentors with extensive agricultural backgrounds to assist beginning farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs and farmers in troubleshooting new strategies and ideas for their farm businesses. The program pilot proved to be a valuable asset to PA farmers, resulting in 124 sessions and over 127 hours of service. In 2023, 104 clients received a total of 318 hours of free mentoring already. Spearheaded by a ...

Dairy farms participate in Calving Corner at this year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show

HARRISBURG — Area dairy farms will be participating in the Calving Corner at the 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show, which started Saturday and runs through Jan. 13. Cows representing these four farms will calve on site during the entire length of the Farm Show, so visitors can witness the dairy birthing process and meet newborn calves. Dairy industry volunteers will be volunteering at the Calving Corner exhibit throughout the week to answer questions about Pennsylvania dairy. The Calving Corner is part of the “Destination Dairy” Northeast Hall at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. The ...

MC Conservation District sets grant application period

BURNHAM — Farm operations can now apply for funding through the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) to install best management practices such as waste storage facilities/mortality composters, forest and grass buffers, stream and wetland restoration, and heavy use area protection to name a few. Funding for the ACAP Program was created through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Clean Streams Fund and was established with the goal of reducing nonpoint source pollution to surface and groundwater supplies. The program is administered by the State Conservation Commission ...